Overbooked: meaning, definitions and examples

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overbooked

 

[ oʊvərˈbʊkt ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

travel industry

Overbooked refers to a situation where more reservations are accepted than there are available resources, such as seats on an airplane or rooms in a hotel. This practice is often used by airlines and hotels to compensate for expected no-shows.

Synonyms

overcommitted, oversold

Examples of usage

  • The flight was overbooked, so some passengers were bumped to the next flight.
  • We arrived at the hotel only to find out that they were overbooked and had no room for us.
  • Due to the overbooked train, many travelers had to stand for the duration of the journey.

Translations

Translations of the word "overbooked" in other languages:

🇵🇹 overbooked

🇮🇳 अत्यधिक बुक किया गया

🇩🇪 überbucht

🇮🇩 terlalu banyak dipesan

🇺🇦 переброньований

🇵🇱 przeładowany

🇯🇵 オーバーブッキングされた

🇫🇷 surdemandé

🇪🇸 sobrerreservado

🇹🇷 aşırı rezervasyon

🇰🇷 과도하게 예약된

🇸🇦 محجوز بشكل مفرط

🇨🇿 přeplněný

🇸🇰 preplnený

🇨🇳 超额预订

🇸🇮 preknjižen

🇮🇸 ofurpantaður

🇰🇿 артық брондалған

🇬🇪 გადატვირთული

🇦🇿 artıq rezerv edilmiş

🇲🇽 sobrerreservado

Etymology

The term 'overbooked' is derived from the prefix 'over-', denoting excess, combined with the past participle of the verb 'book'. The word 'book' in this context comes from the Old English 'bōc', which referred to a written document or record. The usage of 'book' in the context of making reservations dates back to the mid-20th century, coinciding with the growth of the travel and hospitality industries. As businesses sought to maximize their profits, they began adopting overbooking strategies to counteract the financial impact of last-minute cancellations and no-shows. Today, 'overbooked' is widely recognized and often discussed in relation to travel inconvenience and customer service issues.